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Greenpeace blockade at Suncor conveyor belts ends

FORT MCMURRAY, AB, Sept. 30 /CNW/ - The Greenpeace blockade of two giant Suncor conveyor belts at its operations north of Fort McMurray has ended after about 10 hours.

The 10 activists who blockaded the conveyor belts were arrested by RCMP early in the evening. Earlier, police arrested 10 other activists who had been deploying a large floating large banner on the Athabasca River that read: "Dying for Climate Leadership."

The action began early this morning when 23 activists from Canada, France, Brazil and Germany entered the Suncor site. One team stopped two giant conveyor belts that carry bitumen from Suncor's mine on the east side of the river to its upgrader on the west side. Greenpeace Canada executive director Bruce Cox joined the activists and was arrested.

Today's action at Suncor came two weeks after Greenpeace successfully stopped a mining operation at Shell. Greenpeace has undertaken these actions to call international attention to the climate crime of the tar sands.

During the Shell and Suncor blockades, the companies issued news releases saying they were open to discussions about their operations.

"With tar sands companies planning to triple the production of dirty oil, their actions speak louder than words," said Mike Hudema, Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner. "Environmental groups and civil society groups have been meeting with these companies for decades and what do we have to show for it - rampant emissions, sprawling toxic lakes, destroyed landscapes, and poisoned rivers. It's time to stop the tar sands. We want action not more hollow words and political stalling."